Society · Adult literacy rate · South Africa
South Africa’s adult literacy rate rose to 91.2% of adults in 2024.
91.2% of adults
2024
Up 1.2 pp from 2021.
Updated 18 Oct 2026
In plain words
91.2% of adults
What it is. People aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about everyday life, as a share of that age group.
Higher is better. A rise in adult literacy rate is generally good news; a fall, bad news.
Why it matters. A percentage puts countries of different sizes on the same footing, so it can be compared across borders and over time.
| Period | Adult literacy rate · South Africa |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 92.9% of adults |
| 2010 | 92.9% of adults |
| 2011 | 93.1% of adults |
| 2012 | 93.7% of adults |
| 2014 | 94.1% of adults |
| 2015 | 94.4% of adults |
| 2016 | 91.7% of adults |
| 2019 | 95% of adults |
| 2021 | 90% of adults |
| 2024 | 91.2% of adults |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Adult literacy rate, South Africa, 2024; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 18 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/society/adult-literacy/south-africa
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Methodology
People aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about everyday life, as a share of that age group. Unit: % of adults. Literacy is measured in surveys and censuses, so new figures arrive every few years.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series SE.ADT.LITR.ZS), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.